Start Date: September 26, 2025
End Date: October 5, 2025
Venue: Online
A single occupation, a single aim, a single joy―the Divine.
– The Mother, CWM, Vol. 14, p. 14
This is how the Mother guides us — most simply, and most profoundly. To be even slightly worthy of this term ‘sādhaka’, one must have this — one single occupation, one single aim, one single joy – the Divine. Nothing more. Nothing less. But this requires the most sincere aspiration. It requires an absolutely perfect surrender, and a most rigorous rejection of all that takes one away from that single occupation and single aim. It requires deep and perfect concentration of all our energies, all our thoughts and emotions, every single movement within and without.
The path is long. But Her Grace can make it sweet and sunlit. Sri Aurobindo once said that it is a mistake to think that one can do Yoga on one’s own. No human being can ever do it. It is always the Divine who does the Yoga. Our job is to give full assent to the Divine. Though, of course, even giving our full assent to the Divine Will does not come without challenges. One’s sincere aspiration and concentrated effort play important part in this regard. Concentration and Meditation are important aspects of all spiritual pursuit and practice.
In the works of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother we find highly valuable insights and practical advice on the rightful place of meditation and the deep significance of concentration in Integral Yoga. Keeping this in consideration BhāratShakti department organised a FREE ONLINE COURSE designed to introduce the significance and place of meditation and concentration in Integral Yoga.
The course tiled “Inner Discovery – Introduction to Meditation in Integral Yoga” was conducted over 5 online sessions starting from September 2025 and ending on October 5, 2025. The following topics were taken during these sessions:
- The ABC of Meditation; Sri Aurobindo’s teaching & method
- Meditative Breathing & Concentration
- The Soul, the Psychic Being and the Jivatman
- Role of Mantras
- Parts and planes of the being; Meditation as Part of Life
While more than 40 people registered for the course because it was a free offering, only 15 people started attending the sessions. This was not surprising as the course demanded regularity and sincere aspiration. And because the course involved long sessions of silent meditation, only those with most sincere interest and aspiration stayed throughout the course and joined every session.
This introductory course had mostly a practical aspect with supplemental readings shared after the practical sessions. It offered an hands-on approach on how to start and integrate the meditation practice in daily life and understanding its significance in the Integral Yoga. Through a step by step progression, the course also incorporated topics such as the significance of breath regulation, Pranayama and Mantras. It also explored how to concentrate and where to concentrate if we aspire for inner silence and inner discovery.
The course was facilitated by Dr. Pedro Miguel Pereira Gaspar. Dr. Gaspar started the practice of Meditation and Integral Yoga in 2006. His first visit to India was in 2008, and since then he has visited many times and has also lived and worked for a long time in Auroville. He has been teaching Meditation since 2009. With a PhD in Sports Psychology, Dr. Gaspar has extensive experience as researcher and educator at university level.
Every online session started with a mantra chanting followed by 15-20 minutes of silent meditation. This was followed by a brief presentation by the facilitator on the topic of the day. This presentation also included practical guidance and answering questions from the participants.
During the session as well, the group was asked to go into silence as a means to build up one’s focused concentration. Each session also concluded with another meditation experience. Different concentration practices such as focusing on breath, gazing at a candle, and nama-japa were briefly explained and practiced during different sessions. Short readings were assigned after each session.
During the last couple of sessions, the focus was to better understand a few aspects of the Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother, particularly the different parts and planes of the being, and three different general approaches in the practice of Yoga. Helpful videos and some essential texts from Sri Aurobindo and The Mother regarding the Integral Yoga and the inner discovery of the Psychic Being were also suggested.
The small group of participants which stayed till the last session requested that regular sessions of this kind may be continued. BhāratShakti department has created an online platform for this group to meet twice a week which can help everyone towards building a regular and disciplined practice of concentration and meditation.